Hey, Al

Last updated
Hey, Al
CM hey al.jpg
Author Arthur Yorinks
Illustrator Richard Egielski
Cover artistEgielski
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreChildren's book
Publisher Farrar, Straus, Giroux
Publication date
1986
ISBN 978-0-374-33060-6
OCLC 14990971
[E] 19
LC Class PZ7.Y819 He 1986

Hey, Al is a children's book written by Arthur Yorinks and illustrated by Richard Egielski. Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in the year 1986, the book won the Caldecott Medal for illustration in 1987. [1]

Synopsis

Al is a friendly janitor who lives with his dog, Eddie, in a small apartment on the West Side in New York City. However, their lives are rather unpleasant due to the apartment's small size and lack of space. One day while Al is shaving, a large bird pokes his head in through the bathroom window and invites both Al and Eddie to live on a large, tropical island in the sky. Al is hesitant to accept the offer, but Eddie convinces him to do so.

The following day, the large bird flies Al and Eddie to the island. Both janitor and dog are immediately fascinated by the island's scenery and are warmly welcomed by the local birds. For days, Al and Eddie live peacefully on the island and believe it to be paradise. One morning, however, Al and Eddie are horrified to discover that, as a result of staying on the island, they are gradually turning into birds. Realizing their mistake, Al and Eddie use their newly-acquired bird abilities to fly home. During the flight, their abilities start to disappear, but Eddie, exhausted, crashes into the sea. After returning home, Al is devastated over Eddie's disappearance until Eddie, being a talented swimmer, manages to swim back home to Al. Reinvigorated, Al and Eddie live out their lives happily, deciding that "paradise lost is sometimes heaven found". [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Stranger Than Paradise</i> 1984 film directed by Jim Jarmusch

Stranger Than Paradise is a 1984 American black-and-white absurdist deadpan comedy film, co-written, directed and co-edited by Jim Jarmusch, and starring jazz musician John Lurie, former Sonic Youth drummer-turned-actor Richard Edson, and Hungarian-born actress and violinist Eszter Balint. It features a minimalist plot in which the main character, Willie, is visited by Eva, his cousin from Hungary. Eva stays with him for ten days before going to Cleveland. Willie and his friend Eddie go to Cleveland to visit her, and the three then take a trip to Florida. The film is shot entirely in single long takes with no standard coverage.

John Robert McCloskey was an American writer and illustrator of children's books. He both wrote and illustrated eight picture books, and won two Caldecott Medals from the American Library Association for the year's best-illustrated picture book. Four of the eight books were set in Maine: Blueberries for Sal, One Morning in Maine, Time of Wonder, and Burt Dow, Deep-water Man. His best-known work is Make Way For Ducklings, set in Boston. In longer works, he both wrote and illustrated Homer Price and he illustrated Keith Robertson's Henry Reed series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Cheever</span> American novelist and short story writer (1912–1982)

John William Cheever was an American short story writer and novelist. He is sometimes called "the Chekhov of the suburbs". His fiction is mostly set in the Upper East Side of Manhattan; the Westchester suburbs; old New England villages based on various South Shore towns around Quincy, Massachusetts, where he was born; and Italy, especially Rome. His short stories included "The Enormous Radio", "Goodbye, My Brother", "The Five-Forty-Eight", "The Country Husband", and "The Swimmer", and he also wrote five novels: The Wapshot Chronicle , The Wapshot Scandal, Bullet Park (1969), Falconer (1977) and a novella Oh What a Paradise It Seems (1982).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Van Allsburg</span> American childrens writer and illustrator (born 1949)

Chris Van Allsburg is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. He has won two Caldecott Medals for U.S. picture book illustration, for Jumanji (1981) and The Polar Express (1985), both of which he also wrote, and were later adapted as successful motion pictures. He was also a Caldecott runner-up in 1980 for The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. For his contribution as a children's illustrator, he was a 1986 U.S. nominee for the biennial International Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international recognition for creators of children's books. He received the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Michigan in April 2012.

Cynthia Rylant is an American author and librarian. She has written more than 100 children's books, including works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Several of her books have won awards, including her novel Missing May, which won the 1993 Newbery Medal, and A Fine White Dust, which was a 1987 Newbery Honor book. Two of her books are Caldecott Honor Books.

<i>Make Way for Ducklings</i> 1941 childrens book by Robert McCloskey

Make Way for Ducklings is an American children's picture book written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey. First published in 1941 by the Viking Press, the book centers on a pair of mallards who raise their brood of ducklings on an island in the lagoon in the Boston Public Garden. It won the 1942 Caldecott Medal for McCloskey's illustrations, executed in charcoal then lithographed on zinc plates. As of 2003, the book had sold over two million copies. The book's popularity led to the construction of a statue by Nancy Schön in the Public Garden of the mother duck and her eight ducklings, which is a popular destination for children and adults alike. In 1991, Barbara Bush gave a duplicate of this sculpture to Raisa Gorbacheva as part of the START Treaty, and the work is displayed in Moscow's Novodevichy Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randolph Caldecott</span> British artist and illustrator (1846–1886)

Randolph Caldecott was a British artist and illustrator, born in Chester. The Caldecott Medal was named in his honour. He exercised his art chiefly in book illustrations. His abilities as an artist were promptly and generously recognised by the Royal Academy. Caldecott greatly influenced illustration of children's books during the nineteenth century. Two books illustrated by him, priced at a shilling each, were published every Christmas for eight years.

<i>Its Like This, Cat</i>

It's Like This, Cat is a novel by American writer Emily Cheney Neville, which won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1964. It's Like This, Cat was Neville's first book.

<i>Officer Buckle and Gloria</i> 1995 picture book by Peggy Rathmann

Officer Buckle and Gloria is a 1995 picture book by Peggy Rathmann that won the 1996 Caldecott Medal. Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association listed the book as one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children." It was one of the "Top 100 Picture Books" of all time in a 2012 poll by School Library Journal. The animated adaptation, narrated by John Lithgow and animated by Chris Larson, was released in 1997 by Weston Woods Studios.

David Small is an American writer and illustrator who is best known for children's picture books. His books have been awarded a Caldecott Medal and two Caldecott Honors, among other recognition.

<i>The Little House</i> 1942 picture book by Virginia Lee Burton

The Little House is a 1942 children's picture book written and illustrated by Virginia Lee Burton. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, it was the recipient of the Caldecott Medal for illustration in 1943.

<i>Time of Wonder</i> 1957 picture book by Robert McCloskey

Time of Wonder is a 1957 children's picture book written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey that won the Caldecott Medal in 1958. The book tells the story of a family's summer on a Maine island overlooking Penobscot Bay, filled with bright images and simple alliteration. Rain, gulls, a foggy morning, the excitement of sailing, the quiet of the night, and the sudden terror of a hurricane are all expressed in this book. This was McCloskey's second Caldecott, the first being Make Way for Ducklings in 1942.

<i>The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses</i> Childrens picture book by Paul Goble

The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, written and illustrated by Paul Goble, is a children's picture book originally released by Bradbury Press in 1978. It was the recipient of the Caldecott Medal for illustration in 1979. As of 1993, the book has been published by Simon & Schuster.

<i>The Little Island</i> (book) 1946 picture book by Margaret Wise Brown

The Little Island is a book by Margaret Wise Brown under the pseudonym Golden MacDonald and illustrated by Leonard Weisgard. Released by Doubleday in 1946, it was the recipient of the Caldecott Medal for illustration in 1947. It describes the four seasons as experienced by a little island. The book is lyrically written, an example being: "Winter came/ and the snow fell softly/ like a great quiet secret in the night/ cold and still."

<i>Hondo & Fabian</i> 2002 childrens book by Peter McCarty

Hondo & Fabian is a children's picture book by Peter McCarty. Released by Henry Holt & Co. in 2002, it is a Caldecott Honor book. A sequel, Fabian Escapes, was released in 2007. The book was made into a 5-minute animated short with narration by Jeff Brooks and released by Weston Woods.

<i>Frog and Toad Are Friends</i> 1970 childrens book by Arnold Lobel

Frog and Toad Are Friends is an American children's picture book, written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel and published by Harper & Row in 1970. It inaugurated the Frog and Toad series, whose four books each comprises five easy-to-read short stories.

<i>A Ball for Daisy</i> Childrens picture book by Chris Raschka

A Ball for Daisy is a 2011 children's wordless picture book written and illustrated by Chris Raschka. The book tells the story of a dog named Daisy, who has a beloved ball destroyed and then replaced. Raschka won the 2012 Caldecott Medal for his illustrations in the book. The creation of the book took years but was praised for its ability to evoke emotion in the reader. A sequel, Daisy Gets Lost, was released in 2013.

<i>The One and Only Ivan</i> 2012 book by Katherine Applegate

The One and Only Ivan is a 2012 novel written by Katherine Applegate and illustrated by Patricia Castelao. It is about a silverback gorilla named Ivan who lived in a cage at a mall, and is written from Ivan's point of view. In 2013 it was named the winner of the Newbery Medal. It has won several other awards and is currently nominated to several reading lists. It was followed in 2020 by The One and Only Bob, presented from the point of view of Ivan's best friend, the dog Bob.

<i>The Rough Patch</i> (book) 2018 picture book

The Rough Patch is a 2018 picture book by Brian Lies. An idea of Lies' for more than ten years, when it was published it was well received and was named a 2019 Caldecott Honor book. The story tells of a fox named Evan whose dog dies. Evan then experiences various emotions while grieving before adopting a new dog at the end of the book. The book was praised for Lies' mixed media illustrations, in particular the way he used light and shadow.

References

Awards
Preceded by Caldecott Medal recipient
1987
Succeeded by